Anyone who has used a conventional, ice chest knows how rapidly things placed within it become wet. Over time, ice placed in the chest melts and tends to submerge all of food items that accompany it. This is not a significant problem if the items are packed in cans, bottles or heavy, sealed containers but is a significant problem if the food items are more lightly packed as sandwiches and chips typically are. In the latter case, it is possible that the affected items will be completely ruined when dunked.
Some have proposed the positioning of shelves or other partitioning devices in ice chests to separate food items from melting ice. Unfortunately, these proposals have not been entirely satisfactory since the partitions are not easily stowed away when their use is not required. Furthermore, a significant portion of the cargo-carrying capacity of the ice chest is lost while toting around the temporarily unneeded partition. A need, therefore, exists for an ice chest whose interior space can be easily divided into separate compartments by a partition that can be stored in the chest in a manner that does not significantly reduce the capacity of the unpartitioned space.